When Sawleha Khanzada was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer at 52 years old, her life changed overnight. With a strong family history, including her own mother’s breast cancer diagnosis, Sawleha was diligent about self-exams. In December 2022, she noticed something unusual, and she followed her instincts.
“I felt it during a shower and called my primary care doctor right away,” she said. She was referred to a nonprofit breast health organization, where she received a mammogram and biopsy, and ultimately her diagnosis. “I didn’t have insurance at the time, but The Rose helped me get Medicaid and start treatment.”
Due to the urgency of her diagnosis and challenges with starting treatment in the U.S., including an allergic reaction to her first chemotherapy treatment, Sawleha and her family traveled to India in early 2023, where she underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Her family’s support and quick action allowed her to begin a new course of treatment just two weeks later. After months of chemotherapy, she entered remission.
Returning to Houston in February 2024, Sawleha established care again with Muffaddal Morkas, MD, a medical oncologist affiliated with Memorial Hermann. His team helped her stay in remission while continuing immunotherapy every 21 days. Dr. Morkas also encouraged her to explore additional resources for emotional and social support. While waiting in his office she came across a flyer which introduced her to the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. It would become an important part of her healing journey.
“I have always had social anxiety, when I came back it was even more. At the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center, I found people who understood what I was going through. It gave me a place to belong,” Sawleha said. “It helped me be social again.”
She reached out to staff members, including Dana Howell-Perkins, the Oncology Wellness Program coordinator at the center, who walked her through the free programs available to patients and survivors. “For me, what worked were the art class with Kermit on Mondays and yoga on Wednesdays, and Thursday’s oncology exercises. They helped me stay grounded and gave me a space to connect,” she said.
Sawleha had already been using art and writing to cope during treatment in India. “I’d spend the whole day at the hospital with my drawing pad, pencils and colors. It was therapy,” she said.
At the center, that personal outlet became a shared experience. “When I first walked into art class, everything was there—the canvas, colors and good vibes. The people were so warm and welcoming. I didn’t feel like a stranger,” she said. “It felt like a space created for people like me, where I could express myself, connect with others and start healing in a new way.”
Sawleha also attends other Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center offerings: a rejuvenating yoga class with affirmations, a high-energy oncology fitness class led by Tiffany, and creative writing workshops facilitated by Elisa twice a month. “Writing is therapy,” Sawleha said. “It gives us survivors a voice. We share our stories, express ourselves and heal together.”
Sawleha says the center is more than a place; it’s a lifeline. “It’s like a hidden gem for people going through cancer. You find something that keeps you going.”
Even while continuing immunotherapy in remission, she visits the center often. Whether to attend a class, join a support group or spend time in the library, the center has become a constant in her healing journey. “Some days, I just stop by to read or reflect. It’s one of the only places where I don’t feel the weight of being in treatment,” she said. “It gives you peace and people are there who understand what you’re going through without having to say a word.”
Inspired by her journey, Sawleha now shares by teaching art to women at her mosque, and she’s now applying for jobs with nonprofits that support refugee and elder communities. “I want to share what I’ve learned and help others heal through art and writing,” she said.
She acknowledges that the fear of recurrence never completely goes away: “I know it can come back, but my advice is to be hopeful. There’s an Emily Dickinson poem I love: ‘Hope is the thing with feathers.’ Hope will guide you.”
Sawleha credits her faith, her family and friends, her medical team and the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center for helping her move forward. “You need medication, family support, proper nutrition and willpower and the resources to nurture the spirit of liveliness and growth. The center gives you that space, emotionally, spiritually and socially. I’ll go there as long as I can,” she said.
Free wellness programs at the Lindig Family Cancer Resource Center are open to all cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors.